Should Heat take heed of Game 2 vs. Mavs?

ASK IRA:

April 30, 2012|By Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun Sentinel

Q: You can't make much more of a statement than in Game 1, but can someone show the Heat Game 2 of the NBA Finals last year to remind them not to let their determination down, like they did against the Mavericks? -- David, Plantation.

A: Excellent, excellent point, and if someone over at 601 Biscayne is reading, it's a point worth making inside the locker room. You're so right, the Heat also were feeling great through 1 3/4 games of that series, and then it all went south. Basically, the Heat are at the point where Dwyane Wade was waving his hand in front of the Mavericks' bench. This time, they need to sustain. Face it, 1-1 going to Madison Square Garden changes everything.

Q: These so-called "experts" are now saying the door is open for the Heat after Derrick Rose's injury, "no excuses" not to win the East. Do they forget the 4-1 beatdown of the Bulls last season, with a healthy Rose? Will these guys ever stop hating? -- Rob, Palm Beach.

A: They will during a Heat championship parade, and not before. But the reality is that with Rose gone, it is one fewer impediment for the Heat and one more reason why they should succeed.

Q: Do you think the Heat will pretty much go to an eight-man rotation in the playoffs? -- Adrian.

A: Based on Game 1, apparently not. Erik Spoelstra seemingly will work through combinations, then settle into what works best.

Q: Coach Spo's demeanor reveals a professional NBA coach with a ton of confidence, a great deal of basketball knowledge and full awareness of the task on hand That said, and considering that its playoffs time, how good of a "motivating" coach is he? -- Martin, Miami.

A: I mean this as absolutely no disrespect to Erik, but "motivation" from this roster comes from within, from LeBron, from Wade. That's the lead these players follow.

Q: How is that diva referee Ed Malloy allowed to officiate in the playoffs? -- Ananth.

A: The good news for the Heat (and Knicks) is that it is highly unlikely he will be back in this series. Game 1 had perhaps the NBA's premier referee as crew chief, in Dan Crawford, who is outstanding. The fact that Malloy wouldn't defer to Dan is disturbing.